What I've been cooking in February

Paprika baked cauliflower 

Cauliflower is a one of my regular vegetable I cook and eat in many forms, so when my mother in law asked me if I can prepare something veggie for the party she was going to have for her husband's 75th birthday I came up with a whole roast couli as a main and grated courgette and chickpeas as a side dish. 

For the cauliflower I mixed up minced garlic, red paprika, salt, pepper and olive oil. Rubbed it onto the cauliflower and roasted for 30 min on 180 C.

Add the tomatoes with some more olive oil and roast for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile grate two small courgettes and fry with very little olive oil for ten minutes, than all drained tin of chickpeas.

Before serving sprinkle some toasted and chopped cashew nut and parsley ….

Beans on toast with eggs, avocado and tomato salsa

This is my typical weekend breakfast, cooked a bit later then usual because I've been for a run 🏃.

The kids would of been fed by then so this is kind of "It's a date meal" for me and my husband .

I made a very quick chili by frying a raw chopped hot chili followed by some garlic and 300g mixed cooked beans. I halved a handful of small tomatoes and added some olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh parsley. I fried eggs, toasted some sourdough bread and dished up with avocado and lime juice..

Roast butternut squash baked with macaroni cheese, yum 

This was served with broccoli and green salad , perfect mid-week meal for five of us ..

 Cherry compote porridge topping

I used bag of 350g frozen cherries, I cooked it with juice of half a orange and a stick of cinnamon for 30 minutes. The taste is not so sweet but very fragrant and morish , it makes me want to eat porridge twice a day :) 

Store in a clean jar and keep it in your fridge for up to two weeks ….

What I've been up to this January so far 🎄❄️🛍 🥘

I love January !💕 To me it is a time to get grounded from the festive season, get back to eating a bit more healthy, more basic and more on budget. Also it is my Orthodox Christmas in January and I love making the day special for me and my children just like my mum used to make it for me ……. 

This month I've decided to blend three of my favorite things into one post..

This soup is super tasty, I decided to add some pasta just to make it more attractive for my children. They'll eat anything with pasta :) 

my old favorite polenta, spinach and avocado topped with home-made gomashio 

Lentils stew with spinach, rice and roasted parsnips 

This lentil stew is adopted from Jamie Oliver 15 minutes meals, originally is with bacon and served with chicken

The next day leftovers lentil stew with added mushrooms - very tasty!!

Home-made sauerkraut 

this is the latest batch, I've been fermenting all sorts of veggies this winter 

Shopping 

The cutest ever food gift bags 

Gorgeous diary and few other cute things for next Christmas  

I love January sales !!!

I'm enjoying reading this book, Michelle Obama is very honest and down to earth woman

The last photos are from Hampton palace and river Thames, my daughter  and I went ice skating on the ice ring in Hampton palace, we found it very pretty !!!

Beetroot leaves and other greens Pesto

This pesto is must try especially if you have any leftover green leaves, carrot tops, celery leaves, broccoli leaves or herbs 🌿🌿 

you will need:

3 cups  mixture of kale (stalks removed), leaves, herbs

half a cup of nuts, almonds in my pesto ( use parmesan if you wish )

3 small cloves garlic

100 ml olive oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt or less

Blanch the kale together with the leaves for 3 minutes.

Ground the nuts using a hand-grinder.

Combine all ingredients and blend.

If you have a tall blender that's perfect.

If you have one of those powerful blender then you don't have to ground the nuts separate.

Alternatively chop the greens by hand and add the rest of the ingredients.

Keep the pesto in a clean jar in the fridge.

Also the pesto can be stored in an ice cube tray and defrosted when needed for sandwich spread, pasta bakes topping or used on home-made pizza 🍕

I am sharing this post with veghog  blog EAT YOUR GREENS 

Detox balance soup

This soup is a little treasure, it's packed with nutrients from the veggies as well as the lentils and if that wasn't enough it's topped with kale and parsley. Why cheese? Detox is boring without balance !!

Kids approved it so I am over the moon 🌙

you will need or I should say I used:

1 big onion, diced

half a leek 

1 parsnip

2 potatoes

1 large carrot

about 350 gr butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 cup green lentils

1/2 cup red lentils

2 handful of kale

1 handful of chopped parsley 

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1.6 l water or 6 - 7 cup

parmesan shavings ( optional )

Method:

Place all vegetables into a large cooking pot, add 1Tbsp oil.

Sweat the veggies for five minutes, add the lentils and boiling water.

Cook the soup for 40 minutes or until the green lentils are soft, the veggies and the red lentils will be cooked quicker.

Add the salt.

Take four cups of the soup and blend it together with the olive oil until smooth.

Pour back into the pot and add the kale as well as the parsley.

Serve the soup with parmesan shavings and crusty bread 

Serve 8 people 

Enjoy :)

I am sharing this post with eat your greens

Pumpkin three ways ( part 1 )

October is already here and I have been busy baking and cooking with my favorite veg Pumpkin !!

I've got some lovely velvety soup that is protein rich, I've also got a pumpkin wholemeal bread full of goodness and I've got pumpkin granola. Yes, I am so excited about the granola, the taste is phenomenal and everyone adds a handful or two as a topping on their cereal …..  

Pumpkin and red lentil soup with zaatar croutons 

1 diced onion

1 diced carrot

2 cloves garlic

1 celery stick

400 gr pumpkin, butternut squash or any squash you can get, peeled and chopped into big chunks

2/3 cup red lentils 

6 cups of water

1 veggie stock cube 

for the zaatar croutons I used rye bread, cubed and seasoned with zaatar, splash of olive oil before oven bake for 10 min on high temp. 

In a large cooking pot splash some olive oil begore adding the veggies. Stir in the pumpkin, lentils as well as the water. 

Cook until the pumpkin is soft then add the stock cube.

Cool is down a bit before you blend it.

Add some black pepper and salt if needed.

Serve 6 or more.

Pumpkin wholemeal seeded bread

500 gr pumpkin 

100 gr pumpkin seeds

200 gr wholemeal flour

200 gr white flour

150 gr porridge oats

4 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp ginger powder

1 Tbsp sugar

7 gr salt

7 gr active dry yeast

Cut the pumpkin into big wedges no need to peel and roast it in the oven for 40 - 60 min or until soft.

Spoon out the pumpkin flash and make a pure.

Set a side.

In a large mixing bowl place all dry ingredients ( reserve about 30 gr seeds for topping ) add 400 ml of lukewarm water . Mix it all up adding more water if needed. Knead the dough on floured surface adding the oil here and there.

Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 hour or so.

After that place the dough back on floured surface, fold it a few times and place it into a baking tin ( covered with baking paper ) of your choice, mine is 900 ml loaf tin.

Brush the dough with warm water and sprinkle the seeds.

Let it rest for 1 hour.

Bake for 50 - 55 min on 200 C .

Pumpkin granola

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup mixed seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin 

1 cup pumpkin pure

1/2 cup maple syrup 

2/3 cup coconut oil

2 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp salt

In a large mixing bowl pour in the maple syrup, add the pumpkin pure and the soften coconut oil.

Stir all together and add the oats, nuts, seeds as well as the cinnamon and salt.

Mix it all making sure all the dry ingredients are covered with the pumpkin mixture.

Spread the mixture onto two baking trays and bake for 30 minutes on 180 C stir it half way through the baking.

The granola should be slightly colored and crisp.

Cool it down before you store in some glass jars.

Add some dry fruit if you like, I add some raisins !!

Delicious !! 

In my kitchen in September 🌽🍂🍆 🍅

Hello autumn - my favorite season !!

I have some exciting things and food this September and I am happy to share it....

Beautiful aubergines - picked from Wisley garden. There was some awesome fresh produce for people to take home for a small donation in return. 

orange beetroot from Wisley 

a few corns and a pumpkin that I used for my homemade tomato sauce 

super cute mini olives

I bought those napkins this summer from Macedonia 

super cute knives and forks for packed lunch, also from Macedonia 

my new paper cups 

some tea bags from Macedonia

sourdough bread baking continues in my kitchen ❤

Lentils salad loaded with fresh veggies, edamame beans and home grown chives 

the garlic was grown and dried by my dad  ❤organic 

Tomato sauce enriched with roasted pumpkin and garlic 

I make this sauce every September, this time I added some roasted pumpkin and garlic, it's perfect 

the recipe is on my blog click here if you are interested 

Aubergine & yellow peas coconut curry with homemade naan bread ( I could eat this every day )

Apple & cinnamon cakes - perfect for lunchboxes 

Carrot cake I baked for my husband birthday

the kids loved the roses made by carrot ribbons 

I am sharing this post with sherrys pickings in my kitchen in September